Hand-operating massaging apparatus.



W. 0.1. GUILFORD. HAND OPERATING IvIAssAGING APPARATUS.

Patented Janf 15, 1918.

wpemtoz Zifinfl c. J. ouiiirozan, ornniinrsoiv, Mains.

Laaaeao.

4Svpeciicatiloii bf Letters Patent.

maneras-ama animare Patented Jain.

Apiuitm mea May 1s; 191s. serial no. 98,350.

T0 all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known thatI, WILLIAM C. J. GUID FORD, citizen of the United States, residing at Harrison, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain ed to engage the abdominal or other por-` tions of the body, and be alternately actu ated to subject the parts beingtreated to a toand fro passive manipulation or exercise. 'I he actuator of the present invention is designed to operate theeXpansible massage elements to which I have alluded primarily, though not `essentially through the medium of aV manual control capable'of varying the rapidity of the successive expansions or contractions of the 'massage element, as distinguished from al uniformityfof action under ainotor controlgas isdisclosed in another of `my applications,` also eXecuted of even date herewith, Serial No.98352.l .i

The preferred embodiment of the inventioncomprises a suitable basehaving a s upporting Yfraneor housing thereonfor suitably actu'ating gearing and connections to an operating crank or the like, said l housing or equivalent supporting brackets being providedwith3 oppositely disposedrests for pai'rof icyllinders `from which lead `the normally y, closed i `connections to. `the expansible i massage elements in combination with 'means Jfory supplying'air to the cylinders 'andf .cojnnections leading therefrom, Valles willube more re auijlvy understood' 'from *the `detailed descriijntcn.hereinafter contained when read in connection Withthe Aaccompanying fdr'avw ings forming a part hereof, andavherein the before mentioned embodiment of the `iin-ven1 tion is illustrated: Intle drawings:- Y 1 ..5 Figure 1v is 'an elevationojthe* actuator and Side elevation.

and massaging elements, parts being broken away. Y

Fig. 2 is an end vieiv, parts being broken away.; and

Fig. 3 is in part a longitudinal section Referring more Vspecihcally to the draw'- ings wherein like reference characters desig` nate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews, A represents a suitablebase, convenientlyof metal to give the same stability. Projecting upwardly froinsaid base, and secured rigidly thereto are front `and rear brackets B and C connectedat their tops as atl) `and closed at their sidesasat Eto constitute a housing and bearingfor the operating gearing. Projecting laterally to opposite sides and from the upper portion of the housing or brackets is a pair ctc-ups or rests F in which parallel upright vcylinders G are secured, the rests constituting the lower ends of the cylinders and being suit-` ably apertured as at `f for ,the passage ,of piston rods H pivoted to pistons `J adapted to reciprocate in the cylinders and connected to be valternately advanced and retracted relative to eachother through the medium ofvoppositely disposed cranks ISI 4connected tothe ,cross shaft L mounted in Athe housing, this,` cross shaft having an appropriately cen;

titi

trally disposed pinion M thereon, meshing With afgear N on a shaft O alsoiniounted in the housingin parallel relation to the shaft L and carrying at its outerjendla handled? designed for `manual rotation totransrnit power through the gear, pinion andcrank connections to the pistons in the cylinders Gr.

rlhe upper endso'f the `cylinders @i terminate in nipples @to which llexible. pipes R arefsecured andfrespectively lead tothe massage elements S having the expansible sheets or diaphragms T sealed'upoll. base members t With a closed space therebetween communicating with the pipe` connections R, the details of thefmassa'ge implements/as heretofore observed, being disclosed, 'in .my companion application `Serial No. 983,353.

`U is a storagetankfor: compressed.;air,V

anupri'ghtposition parallel to thecylind'ers- Gr, this tank having therein` a pumpgV, the

handleu o, of which projects.,,exterorlyofV thertanktobe actuated in 'a manner readily adapted to open or close the communication` between the tank and the cylinders, and pet cocks X adapted to open to the atmosphere permitting the air to exhaust from cylinders.

and pipe connections R to reduce the pressure therein when in operation or to permit all of the air beyond the valve X to escape when the use of the device is completed so as to relieve the massage elements of all internal pressure when not in use.

From the foregoing description the operation of the actuator Will be readily understood, it being my desire tomanipulate the expansible massage elements through the medium of what may suitably be termed a movable air column or piston, it would be necessary at the outset of a given treatment to introduce that air column into the closed passage intermediate of the expansible sheet or diaphragm and the piston ot' each cylinder G. This is accomplished by operating the handle P to alternately Withdraw the pistons to the lower ends of their respective cylinders When an opening oit' the proper valve X Will permit air from the tank U to enter the cylinder and till the pipe R leading to and through the massage implement back of the expansible sheet or diaphragm. The valves X are then closed, the massage implement applied to the part to be treated and the handle P rotated to reciprocate the pistons as well as the air col umn, resulting in the expansion and contraction of each massage implement, and the alternate expansion and contraction of the two massage elements with reference to each other, and at any speed desired, Within the capacity of the machine under the manual control as suggested. y

-T he base member A is suitably recessed or grooved as at a to accommodate the cranks in their lowermost position, during rotation. H-lVhile `I have herein disclosed a specific embodiment of the invention it Will be understood that Said invention is capable of embodiment in other forms and devices as may be included in the hereto appended claims.A Y. `Vhat I claim is: V 1. The combination with expansible massage elements,`and air conducting means leading thereto, of an actuator in communication With said air conducting means comprising a pair oi' parallel cylinders, supporting means therefor, an air supply leading to said cylinders, pistons in said cylinders, oppositely disposed cranks for operatthe pistons, a common shaft for said ing the pistons, avcommon shaft for said` cranks having a pinion thereon, and a gear for operating said pinion arranged withv its axis parallel to the axis of the pinion, in combination With a handle enabling manual operation and control thereof, substantially as described. v

3. The'combination with expansible'massage elements provided with means for connecting them together so that they will be held adiacent to each other in position to conjointly manipulate the same part to `be treated and air conducting meansleading thereto, of an actuator for said elements comprising a pair of cylinders` communieating with said conducting means, pistons in said cylinders, means for actuating said pistons, and means for variably controlling the actuation of said pistons, substantially as described. Y l.

4. The combination with expansible inassageeleinents and air conducting means leading thereto, of an actuator for said massage elements including a pair of vertically disposed cylinders in communication with.

said air conducting means, an air supply leading to saidcylinders, reciprocating pistons associated with said cylinders, and

means for supporting the cylinders and pis-V ing adapted to alternately actuate the massage elements, substantially as described;

6. In combination with expansiblemas-Y sage elements having air conductingfmeans leading thereto, of anv actuator for fsaid massage elements comprising a pair of upright cylinders, pistons therein, operating means for the pistons, a source ot'air supply leading to the cylinders, and means for supporting the cylinders comprisngabase; a

naaaaeo supporting means projecting upwardly therefrom, and laterally projected rests on said supporting means iu which the lower ends of the cylinders are secured.

7. The combination with expansible massage elements, and air conducting means leading thereto, of an iactuator for said massage elements comprising a pair of upright cylinders in communication with said air conducting means, pistons for said cylinders, operating means for the pistons, and means for supplying air to the cylinders comprising an upright tank for air having a discharge outlet at its rear upper portion, branches leading from said discharge around the tank at the oppositely disposed sides thereof and to the cylinders, and suitable valve controlling means, substantially as described.

8. The combination with expansible massage elements, and air conducting means leading thereto, of an actuator for said massage elements comprising a pair of upright cylinders having their upper ends in communication with said air conducting means, pistons in the cylinders, piston rods extending without the lower ends of the cylinders, a supporting base, a housing projecting upwardly from said base having laterally projected seats in which the lower ends oi the cylinders are secured, actuated gearing and connections mounted in the housing for operating the piston rods, means for supplying air to the cylinders including an upright tank for air, Vand discharge means leading from the tank to the cylinders including suitable valves, controlling means for the passages leading from the tank to the cylinders and for permitting exhaust of the air behind the massage elements when a treat ment is completed.

9. The combination with expansible massage elements, and air conducting means leading thereto, of an actuator for said massage elements comprising a pail` of upright cylinders having their upper ends in communication with said air conducting means, pistons in the cylinders, piston rods extending without the lower ends of the cylinders, a supporting base, a housing projecting upwardly from said base having laterally projected seats in which the lower ends of the cylinder are secured, actuating gearing and connections mounted in the housing for operating the piston rods, a handle for manually operating said gearing, means for supplying air to the cylinders including an upright tank for air, and discharge means leading from the tank to the cylinders including suitable valve controlling means for the passages leading from the tank to the cylinders and for permitting exhaust of the air behind the massage elements when a treatment is completed.

l0. The combination with alternately expansible coperating massage elements provided with means or connecting them together so that they will be held adjacent to each other in position to conjointly manipulate the same part to be treated and air conducting means leading thereto, o an actuator for said elements comprising a pair of cylinders communicating with said conducting means, pistons in said cylinders, means for actuating said pistons, and means for Yariably controlling the actuation of said pistons, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aii'ix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM C. J. GUILFORD.

lvitnesses JOHN W. SHIELDs, CHARLES A. LEAVITT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

